A Gracious Plenty:
Recipes and Recollections from the American South
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The rich culinary heritage of the South, from potlikker and black-eyed peas to she-crab soup and Brunswick stew, is documented in this charming book, which John T. Edge wrote for the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi. Ellen Rolfes, expert on community cookbooks, helped research the 400 authentic recipes from individuals and organizations throughout the South. Historic photographs, quotes from such Southern icons as William Faulkner and B.B. King, remembrances from people in all walks of life, and other material create an engaging portrait of Southern life as it relates to food.
The South is blessed with food traditions rooted in agriculture, mild climate, and a rural lifestyle. The community cookbooks that are the source of many of the recipes in this book are as Southern as sweet tea, and a window into everyday life in the kitchen. There’s a great sense of fellowship and community, and an appreciation of simple food cooked simply — as the authors say, "no fuss, no foie gras."
Here is a brief sampling of recipes from A Gracious Plenty, starting with a classic Mint Julep and ending with Lemon Buttermilk Ice Cream. It doesn’t get much better than that.
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Recipes:
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Sample Recipes from A Gracious Plenty
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Mint Julep
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| This recipe was collected by Eudora Welty in the 1930s for a Federal Writers Project. |
1/2 lump sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 mint leaf
crushed ice
bourbon whiskey
mint sprig
In a silver goblet, dissolve the sugar in the water. Bruise the mint leaf between your fingers and drop it into the dissolved sugar. Stir well and remove the mint leaf. Fill the goblet with crushed ice. Add bourbon whiskey to the top. Garnish with the mint sprig. Let goblet stand until frosted. Serve immediately. Makes 1 serving.
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Sweet Potato Biscuits
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| From the Junior League of Greenville, South Carolina |
3 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup shortening
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1/3 cup milk
Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, allspice, and cinnamon. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the sweet potatoes. Add the milk and stir until the dry ingredients are moistened.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface; roll to 1/2" thickness. Cut the dough with a 2" biscuit cutter. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes 18 to 20 biscuits.
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Chicken Salad
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From Lee-Scott Academy in Auburn, Alabama
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4 cups diced, cooked chicken
1 cup diced celery
1/4 cup toasted pecans
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
salt to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill until ready to serve.
(Editor’s note: 1/2 cup each of mayonnaise and sour cream may be enough for your taste. )
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Fried Green Tomatoes
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Long before the book or the movie, Southerners were rolling tomatoes in cornmeal and frying them up for a tasty treat. This recipe came from St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Indianola, Mississippi.
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4 large green tomatoes
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
bacon fat for frying
Slice the tomatoes 1/4" thick. Mix the cornmeal with the salt and pepper. Dip each slice into the seasoned meal mixture. Place the seasoned slices in a heavy skillet containing melted bacon fat. Fry slowly until brown, turning once. Makes 6 servings.
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Cream of Peanut Soup
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The Junior League of Savannah, Georgia, included this recipe in their book Savannah Style.
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1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 cup light cream
1 cup creamy peanut butter
salt and pepper to taste
chopped peanuts for garnish
watercress for garnish
Heat the butter in a large skillet and brown the celery and onion. Stir in the flour and gradually add the chicken broth. Add the milk and the cream. Strain the soup (discard solids). Stir in the peanut butter and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped peanuts and a sprig of watercress.
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Carter Hill Barbecue Ribs
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This recipe came from the Black Family Reunion Cookbook, published by the National Council of Negro Women, Washington, D.C.
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4 pounds fresh spare ribs
1 quart apple cider vinegar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
Cut the ribs into 3"-4" pieces. Rinse in cold water and drain. Pour the vinegar into a large glass dish. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Place ribs in mixture to marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 450°F. Place the ribs in a baking pan. Pour 1 cup of the marinade over the top. Bake, basting occasionally with the remaining marinade, for 30 minutes, or until the ribs are brown on both sides. Reduce the heat to 350°F and continue to baste while cooking another 1-1/2 hours, or until done. Makes 4 servings.
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Southern Pecan Pie
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| No one knows who made the first pecan pie, but this recipe is from the Historic Huntsville Foundation in Huntsville, Alabama. |
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
1 9" pie shell, unbaked
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream the butter, flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Gradually add the eggs and beat until smooth. Add the corn syrup gradually and beat until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and pecans. Pour into pie shell and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Makes 6 servings.
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Lemon Buttermilk Ice Cream
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| This Southern take on an American standard comes from the Junior League of Atlanta, Georgia. |
1 quart buttermilk
2 cups heavy cream
1-1/2 cups sugar
7 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
grated zest of 1 lemon
salt to taste
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Pour into your ice cream freezer container and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Makes 8 servings.
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